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Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Gregory Ibe, has denied allegations that he presented a fake secondary school certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), during the submission of credentials to the Commission.
He accused Chief Chikwe Udensi and General Ijioma N. Ijioma of being behind the allegations.
Udensi and Ijioma contested the APGA governorship primary election with Ibe who was said to have been declared winner under controversial circumstances.
Ijioma had further alleged that the APGA candidate presented another candidate,Joseph Ibe’s school certificate, as his own.
Describing the allegation as total falsehood,Ibe explained that he successfully completed his secondary school education at Boys High School ,Ihube Okigwe , and obtained the West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1983, which enabled him to proceed for higher education.
He stated that he has no need to forge or present another candidate’s certificate when his own is genuine and can be confirmed.
He said;”I have been told that my opponents Sir Chikwe Udensi and General Ijioma N Ijioma have been spreading false and wicked rumours on radio about me, that I presented another person’s school certificate to our party.
“That is not only mischievously preposterous but also malicious since it is an established fact that I attended the reputable Boys High School Ihube Okigwe, and successfully took the West Africa School Certificate Examination in that same institution in 1983.
Therefore I didn’t need to forge papers or present another person’s certificate since I have mine.”
He disclosed that the matter was already in court and wondered why Udensi and Ijioma had to resort to media trial and propaganda.
“Since I know that this matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, I have tried not to make public comments on the issue since the case is sub judice but my opponents will not let that happen.
“They have continued to scandalise my name on radio.They were the people who instituted legal proceedings against me in the first place, but when they failed to get what they wanted they now resorted to cheap blackmail, name calling and opprobrium.”
He denied knowing one Ibe Joseph who he is alleged to have presented his school certificate to APGA for the party primaries.
“The fact is that I don’t know any Joseph Ibe who wrote WASCE in 1992 but I am sure my opponents, who incidentally in their separate lines of business are conversant with the standard protocols of recruitment, established processes of verification and validation of documents, impersonation and the misdemeanor of falsification, will in due course be compelled to clear the air on this heinous scheme to undo an innocent man.
“My name is Gregory Ibe and it is incontrovertible that I sat WASCE in Boys High School Ihube in 1983 with examination number 11510034, and my certificate is still intact.”